Lasers for the removal of bronze paint from gilded wood

This presentation discusses the use of ErYAG lasers to remove aged bronze paint repairs from gilded surfaces. Gerry Alabone will address the common conservation challenge of removing darkened old bronze paint repairs from sensitive oil gilded surfaces which have similar solubility parameters, thus allowing treatments to be carried out that would not be possible with the use of solvents alone. Case studies are considered from the National Trust Conservation studios at Knole where Gerry has been developing use of ErYAG laser to remove bronze paint from frames and other objects with gilded wood.

Gerry Alabone is Lead Conservator (furniture & frames) with the National Trust, and Lecturer on the graduate conservation programmes at the City & Guilds of London Art School. After gaining his first degree in fine art painting at Bath Academy of Art, Gerry was employed in the bespoke framemaking trade and public galleries before studying his BSc in conservation at London Guildhall University, and his masters by research in history of art at the University of Birmingham. Gerry was formerly Lead Frames Conservator at the City of London’s Guildhall Art Gallery and Head of Frames Conservation at Tate. In 2016 he convened the first international conference on the auricular style, Auricular Style: Frames, at the Wallace Collection. Additionally, Gerry’s current research concentrates on the material/technical art history of interiors, and the use of ErbiumYAG lasers in conservation.